I'm 49 years old, born 1952 in
Cologne/Germany. By family background I am a Roman catholic,
as many people in this region. One of my great uncles was a
catholic priest and monk and I loved him very much. I did
all my religious duties till the age of 21! At that time I
left the church for their faith. At the same time I believed
to be an atheist, but today I know that it was not
so.

I'm a Public Administration diplomer
and worked roundabout 30 years as a civil servant for the
administration of the state of Northrhine-Westphalia, the
biggest German federal state. At the last 20 years I worked
additional as a lecturer at the institute for public
administration of this state. I have been doing this work
also since I'm retired. Since over 20 years I'm an author
especially for regional history, family history, Judaism and
Islam and since 4 years I'm a publisher with a very small
publishing office.

After studying different Christian
faiths, the Jewish religion, the Baha'i faith, etc., in the
year 1988 I became a Muslim. I said my shehada
at the VERBAND DER ISLAMISCHEN KULTURZENTREN, this is the
German organisation of the Turkish Suleymancis, a daughter
Tarikat of the Nakschibandi Tarikat. From the beginning I've
had great problems with their interpretation of Islam. Other
Islamic groups in Germany, especially the groups of
German-born Muslims want to change the newcomers into Arab,
Turkish or Pakistani Muslims. But I would be and will be a
German/European Muslim, because the Islam is the religion of
all humans and Muhammad is the prophet of all people! So I
was a long time a Muslim without a jamaat
[group/Movement]. In this time I wrote several
critical books about these people and
organisations.

Later I came in contact with different
groups of the Alevi-Muslims. I helped them as a lecturer and
wrote the first books in German about their faith. But I was
not a member of them. Till today I have good contacts to
them.

A few years ago I came in contact with
the Ahmadiyya-Muslim-Jamaat (the so called Qadianis). I
helped them in fighting for their members which where asking
asylum in Germany and wrote two books about their situation
in Pakistan and Germany. In this time I was in very close
contact to their German, Gambian and Ghana amirs
[heads] and with their so-called Khalifa
[Caliph] in London. I'd have many meetings with him
in the UK and in Germany. I accepted him as a very religious
and pious man, but not as a real Khalifa, so as I don't
accept MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD as a prophet.

In this time I read so many books from
MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD and learned to accept him as a great
religious and spiritual leader. After a few critical words
from my side the contact was broken by the Qadianis, first
by the German leaders, later also by their headquarter in
London.

In a case with fundamental German
Islamic groups and persons (and the Qadianis) I lost my
whole money for a long time till today. That is one of the
reasons for my work as lecturer, because I have a son and a
wife (both are Christians) for which I have to look for
their welfare. But with the help of ALLAH till today I found
my way and in two or three years all my problems will
finish.

I was at no time a member of Qadianis.
After breaking up the contacts by them I learned many things
about them which I didn't know before. For example that many
of them came to Germany to ask for asylum, but after
receiving it, they go very often to Pakistan without any
problems. Many of the non-educated members of them work in
Germany like doctors, they look inside a homeopathic book of
their khalifa and then tell the people about their
illnesses. A Qadiani, which called himself my best friend
and brother will not give money back to me since two years.
So I learned that this jamaat has two-sides of a
medal.

I don't believe that any jamaat is
perfect, because we are all humans and humans cannot be
perfect. Only GOD is perfect. But if a jamaat told the
people how good and pious she is and then you see their real
works, you will go away from them.

In the time of searching for my book
about the situation of the Qadianis in Pakistan I'd have a
short contact to Imam Chaudhry of the Berlin Mosque. He is a
very fine man and I know that there are well-educated
Qadianis who accept him as a good man.

A short time ago I was looking for my
further way as Muslim in Germany and Europe. So I looked for
new contacts through Imam Chaudhry and he brought me in
contact with a German Ahmadi (Lahori). Since this time we
are in good contact and he asked me one day to look for a
membership in the AAII [Ahmadiyya Anjuman
Isha'at-e-Islam]. After thinking many times I've taken
this step today. I came also in contact with a Ahmadi
(Lahori) from the Netherlands, because I speak the Dutch
language.

Since a few weeks I'm a student at an
American university for the master degree of religious
studies (MRS) which I hope to finish end of next year or
so.

I believe that the AAII has no other
faith than the majority of the Muslim ummah
[Nation]. I believe that no Muslim has the right to
call another Muslim an unbeliever. I believe that MIRZA
GHULAM AHMAD is the reformer of the 14th Islamic
century and the spiritual Promised Messiah. I believe
further that the AAII of Lahore is the true jamaat in the
mind of the Founder of the Ahmadi Movement MIRZA GHULAM
AHMAD.